Lower Dolpo Trek - The Remote Trails of Lower Dolpo

Lower Dolpo Trek Overview

Lower Dolpo Tea House Trek: standing amid the rugged natural landscape of Dolpo in all its beauty and experiencing its remoteness, you can’t help but feel that this is real Shangri-La, a region with an aura of mysticism about it. Dolpa, also called “Ba Yul,” or the Hidden Valley, has fascinating villages and is still a land of mystery, scenery, and peace. Isolated and secluded from the outside world by spiraling high mountain passes and restricted entry, mysterious Dolpo had long fascinated and frustrated travelers.

The lower Dolpa circuit trekking is one of the most popular treks, as it visits Phoksundo Lake, featured in Éric Valli's Oscar Award-nominated movie "Caravan.” Phoksundo, also known as the Blue Lake, cuts one of the deepest gorges in Nepal but contains no aquatic life. This trek links Phoksundo Lake's experience with the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Dho. There are 130 Gompas in Dolpa, some of their history going back to very early times. Shey Phoksundo National Park, great Himalayan scenery, and Lake Phoksundo are the prime attractions of the region. The area is inhabited by people practicing the pre-Buddhist “Bon Po” that disappeared from Tibet in the 9th century, while lower Dolpa is home to Thakuris, Chhetris, and Brahmins. Upper Dolpa is home to Bhotiyas; their culture, dress, and speech are similar to Tibetans. 

It is one of the few areas protecting trans-Himalayan ecology. Phoksundo Lake is one of the deepest and the second-largest lakes in Nepal. The ancient settlement of Jugdullah, Shey Phoksundo National Park monastery, is over 700 years old. The trail crosses two high passes, Numla Pass (5190 m) and Bagla Pass (5070 m), before reaching the beautiful hamlet of Ringmo. The hiker’s first glimpse of Lake Phoksundo. Blue sheep, musk deer, snow leopards, gorals, Himalayan tahr, and bears inhabit the National Park of this high Tibetan plateau.

The main attraction of the Lower Dolpo Circuit Trek: 

• Numa La and Bagala Passes both go through 5000-meter-high passes.
• Shey Phoksundo Lake and Dho Tarap Village.
• Isolated and untrodden by modern development.
• Tibetan Buddhists influenced the Himalayan lifestyle and customs.
• Less visited away from crowds and hassle-free.
• 15-day inclusive package lower Dolpo Circuit Tea House Trek

Lower Dolpo Trek Permit

To trek to Lower Dolpo, you will need two trekking permits: a lower Dolpo restricted area permit that costs US$10 per person per week and a Sheyphoksundo National Park entrance fee of NPR 3000 per person and NPR 1500 per person for SAARC nationals. Children below 10 years are free. It is mandatory that a foreign trekker's trip to Lower Dolpo be organized through a registered local trekking company in Nepal and that they trek with a licensed Nepalese trekking guide.